The Natural Philosopher wrote:
doozer wrote:

arsenic falavoured spuds - yum ;-)

They already contain a fair bit in their skins.

If you are referring to the fact that you shouldn't eat green potatoes
then the poison is not arsenic. The poison is actually and alkaloid
called solanine. The green is actually chlorophyll but it is a good
indication that the potato has produced solanine as well. Solanine is
very poisonous but fortunately present in small quantities even in
very green potatoes (you could eat a green potato and not die). The, I
suppose, positive aspect of solanine is that it is very bitter, as
most alkaloids are, so you wouldn't want to eat it anyway. Deep
peeling a green potato will remove all the solanine as it is only
present in the skin and just below.

As for arsenic, plants will take it up into their leaves and fruit to
some extent if there is any in the ground and some plants are better
at it than others. However, if there isn't arsenic in the ground then
there wont, in fact can't, be any in the plant.

Graham


Potatoes are curious vegetables.

They are ftom te same family as datura, belladonna, and several other
members oa a family most of which are deadly poisonous, and used in the
manufacture of witches ointment.

I think tomatoes are in the same family.

It is reckoned that potatoes would not pass FDA regulatuions if they
ever had to take the test...

I must say - maybe its urban legend that arsenic was what the skins
suposedly had.

http://soils.tfrec.wsu.edu/mg/lead.htm

suggests it is not urban legend, and that potatoes are just great at
incorporating any heavy metals into their skins.




Yes tomatoes are in the same family. I was surprised when I found that
out because the plants are so different. Eating the leaves of tomatoes
is a bad idea .oO(hopes that we get some sun this year so the tomatoes
grow).

The process of metal extraction by plants is called phytomining BTW.
Perhaps we could use potatoes to get rich extracting heavy metals from
the ground. There is so little arsenic in the ground (generally) that
there is not danger from poisoning. I believe that is some naturally
occurring arsenic in Cornwall but it is at levels where even if a plant
accumulates it there is no danger. Apparently, and this may be urban
legend or just plain bad science, people that consume tiny amounts of
arsenic live longer.